As is well known, mishaps involving automobiles traveling on highways is a frequent and common occurrence. Typically, such mishaps include flat tires, engine failure, and in some instances, vehicular collisions. Particular difficulty as well as danger is encountered when such mishaps occur at night. In these instances, oftentimes a driver finds that his vehicle is not equipped with a flashlight or other light source. The need for such a light source as a means of performing vehicular maintenance and/or providing a warning for other approaching vehicles is extremely important from a safety standpoint, particularly when considering the inherent risks associated with vehicles which are disabled on or near roadways. It is important that the vehicle, in these situations, be equipped with a light source that is both quickly deployable and has a power source associated with the vehicle itself, due to the relatively short life span of conventionally-known household batteries. A number of devices for providing such a light source are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,281,162 to Holloway; 1,392,441 to Nikonow; 3,322,944 to Mellyn; and 3,439,159 to McRoskey et al. However, the light sources disclosed by these references are limited due to their ability to focus a beam of light in only one direction such as is done with oonventionally-known flashlights. In this respect, such limited unidirectional capacitY diminishes the ability of the light source to serve as an emergency beacon for traffic approaching the disabled vehicle in a direction opposite of the light beam. Although U.S. Pat. No. 2,938,110 to Busch et al. eliminates this particular problem, the device disclosed in this reference does not lend itself to compact efficient storage nor rapid deployment. The present invention overcomes many of these difficulties by providing a compact and easily stored hand-held portable light source which can be rapidly deployed and which can radiate light in all directions.